Let's Try This Again

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Sometimes I feel like I must be building a super highway. When I started this blog, I did not plan on taking what appears to be a leave of absence. It's been a crazy summer and it just happened. I let it go, but not for lack of birding tales. We did not make our trip down to Zion in April as we had planned, and I think that dampened the enthusiasm a bit because we missed the Mountain Bluebirds, Wild Turkeys, Canyon Wrens, and numerous hummingbirds we have seen in the past. I let a lot of things go during this long, hot summer in Utah, but now I'm back at the keyboard trying to revive a blog that must look like it has been on life support.

Since April, I have seen a flock of at least 20 turkey vultures soaring in the thermals above East Bay. We had a pair of quail stop by near the feeder with their brood of four youngsters. The male was perched on a pipe that is near where we store our bikes, watching over the female and the young as they pecked at the seed on the ground. It was as if the parents were showing off their family for us, as I am certain that the parents had visited us numerous times during the spring. We have at least one Scrub Jay that is a regular visitor, never failing to greet us with it's raucous squawk. I saw a Cassin's Finch singing away in a ponderosa pine at my parent's house. We also saw Snowy Egret's out at the lake.

It has been a good summer for birds, considering that the heat has kept us away from Utah Lake and we have not made many trips specifically to see birds. This month we have planned a trip down to Capital Reef and I have high hopes for a few new sightings there.

Merilee and I have discovered a new place we like to go when we are both up early enough to enjoy it. There is a small wildlife management area near where Hobble Creek enters Utah Lake, and it can be a very good spot to see wildlife. On one trip we saw huge carp moving up the creek, getting ready to spawn. We also saw a Belted Kingfisher and watched him hunting for a meal more his size.

As well as a Spotted Sandpiper perched on a log looking for a meal of its own.

In this same area we saw a group of male Brown-headed Cowbirds vying for the attentions of a female who appeared rather disinterested in all the attention.

It's a fun place to go and we are looking forward to visiting the area during the fall migration to see what we can spot. We always see something exciting.

One of my favorite sighting of the summer occurred while we were on a casual walk along the Provo River trail. With the trees and the water so close to the trail, we always seem to see Yellow Warblers, or at least the flash of yellow as they streak from tree to tree, as well as Song Sparrows and a few Mallards lounging in the calmer areas of the river. On this trip, we saw something new. As we were walking along a shady part of the trail, I heard what sounded like a cat mewing in the growth along the river. It kept getting louder as we walked, until we reached a spot where it seemed to be coming from right beside the path. I saw this bird perched on a branch about eye level, but could not see a cat anywhere. That is when I realized that the mewing was coming not from a feline lurking in the bushes, but from the bird perched nearby. I carefully watched it as it's beak opened and cat noises came out. We watched it for a few minutes until a bike scared it down into the undergrowth. I thought for certain we had seen the last of it, but soon it had flown onto another branch not four feet away and it sat and watched us, apparently as curious about us as we were about it. It was not long before another bike came along and it flew off again. At first I thought it was a mockingbird, but when I got home and looked at the photos, I realized it was something else; a Gray Catbird.

Further down the trail, I also got a photo of a Yellow Warbler that I rather like, almost as much for the spider webs in the branches as the warbler.

So there you have a little bit of what the summer has been like. With the approach of autumn and a couple of camping trips, I hope to see a few more to add to the list this year. The life list I started not too long ago is up to 125 species, and I have seen 84 so far this year. Spring migration seemed a little sparse by the lake, but we have high hopes for more birds soon. I also have every intention not to let this go for so long without writing again. Here's hoping I don't need a second-hand fire truck and asbestos suit any time soon.

Busy Month, Long Post, Lots of Photos

It has been about a month since my last post, though not because I have had nothing to talk about. It seems other things in life sometimes get in the way and by the time I have had the chance to sit down and compose my thoughts, I was simply too tired to make much sense. So I put it off time and time again, thinking that maybe next week I would feel more up to writing. Well, I decided not to put it off any longer and share some of the things that have happened over the last four weeks.

I think I mentioned that we were going out to the levee later in the day after completing my last post. It turned out to be a very nice evening. We saw some of the early arrivals to the lake, including some Cinnamon Teal and a couple of Redheads, but the real finds on this early March evening included Greater Scaups, a Common Goldeneye, and some Tundra Swans. The scaups were together in the moat-like area inside the airport boundaries among the grasses and I at first mistook them for goldeneyes, but as we traveled along the south end of the airport, we caught sight of a lone Common Goldeneye swimming close to the water's edge. As if that was not enough, we soon spotted two Tundra Swans eating in a field at the end of one of the runways. As we watched these amazing birds eating, a car full of college students who were driving the levee stopped and asked us what we were looking at. They said we looked like a couple of ornithologists, so they were wondering what the birds were. Initially misidentifying them, I said the looked like Trumpeter Swans, bring a joking comment about them sounding like Miles Davis from the driver. We talked for a few moments, the driver not being very serious, before we were left alone again to watch the birds.

Continuing our drive around the airport, in a bay of Utah Lake we spotted at least six more swans in the water, along with shovelers, coots, and some other ducks that were too far away to identify. Then we saw a Red-tail Hawk sitting in the top of a tree surveying the fields for dinner.

Greater Scaup

Common Goldeneye

Tundra Swans

On the 12th, we decided to walk along the paved trail that runs along the eastern fence of Utah Lake State Park. This is a nice easy trail that, this time of year, allows one to view the fields east of the lake that are often filled with birds. This year was no exception. Though they all were a little too far away to photograph, through the binoculars we saw many Tundra Swans, Canada Geese in abundance, Killdeer, Northern Shovelers, Mallards, Cinnamon Teal, and Northern Pintails taking periodic flights above us. We even spotted a Downy Woodpecker in the tree above our heads when we first set out. It was fun to see so many birds enjoying the flooded fields.

One week later, we took another drive around the levee and saw more wonderful birds. In addition to the Tundra Swans, Cinnamon Teal, and coots, we saw something rather special. As we were driving along the western side of the road, we spoke with a man in a truck who worked with the wildlife management of the area. He told us that on the south end of the airport, hanging out with some Canada Geese, was a lone Snow Goose. We soon got to a point where we could see it from a distance, but it was close enough to the grasses at the end of the airport that I did not think we would get a better look at it. As we reached the one break it the grasses that I thought would give us the best chance of seeing the Snow Goose, it took to the air and started to fly east away from us. It was great to see it in flight, but I was disappointed that I would not have a chance to get a photo as this was the first Snow Goose I could ever recall seeing. To my delight, the goose made a graceful turn and circled around behind us, landing in the moat.

My First Snow Goose

Dining Kestrel, dinner hanging behind the branch

 The evening's delights did not end there. We saw a Bufflehead that quickly made for shelter behind the grasses before I could get a good shot, and a kestrel in the top of a tree dining on a rodent that looked almost as large as he was. Later, as we drove back toward Provo, we saw three Sandhill Crane's in a field fairly close to the road. That would have been a great end to the evening, but as we turned back onto Center Street, heading east, we were greeted by this amazing sight.

It's a little hard to see because they blend in so well, but there were at least 15 Sandhill Cranes in this field. Most of them are just below where the mountains end in the photo. I have never seen so many in one place at one time. It was quite the sight.

Five of the 15 or more Sandhills in the field

Just two days later I saw something else amazing. As we were walking our nephew home after a visit, in an ornamental plum tree not far from where we live, we saw at least a dozen Cedar Waxwings. The number is not what was so surprising. We were able to stand right beneath the tree, not more than 18 inches from a coupe of them, and watch them up close. They are such beautiful birds and it was amazing to see them up so close. I hurried back home to get my camera, afraid that maybe they would move on before I returned, but there they were. They were a little more wary of me with my camera, but I could still see them close and I got some great shots. Here are just a couple.

On the 30th, we went back out to the lake for a morning trip, accompanied by our friend Bob. The activity was not as good as it had been earlier in the month, but we started the day by seeing a Downy Woodpecker up close, as well as a Ring-necked Duck, the year's first Song Sparrow, a few Yellow-headed Blackbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds, and some Tree Swallows. We also spotted a Clark's Grebe out on the lake and a Townsend's Solitaire leaping for insects flying just above the road.

Ring-necked Ducks

Later in the day, we saw two Golden Eagles as we drove along Canyon Road near Day's Market. They were sitting on a telephone pole, big as life. We also stopped at the Lower Hobble Creek Wildlife Management Area and walked out toward the lake a bit. In spite of the strong winds, we saw some Killdeer near the creek, and as we got closer to the lake, we saw some coots and Green-winged Teal.

At other times during the month, we spotted Pied-billed Grebes, Gadwalls, and a Turkey Vulture riding the thermals very close to home. March turned out to be a very fun month for birds. I have seen 58 species so far this year, and the feeder has started attracting House Finches, with Quail and Eurasian Collared Doves eating the seed knocked onto the ground by the sparrows and finches. April looks to be exciting as well. Though a recent trip to the levee did not present anything new, we are headed down to Zion National Park in less than three weeks and that should add some to the total. Maybe this will be the year we are luck enough to see some Peregrin Falcons or a California Condor. I am sure there will be more trips out to the levee before them, possibly even a trip to the Bear River Bird Refuge if we can fit it in.

Can Spring Be Far Off?

It's been another couple of weeks since my last entry again due to weather and fairly low activity. The sparrows continue to come in small groups and the scrub jays visit every morning and almost every evening. It has been the same story for the past two weeks. Here is a photo of one of the House Sparrows at the feeder.

 I had to take this one through the car windshield because these fellows are extremely skittish when we are outside the car. I took some with my phone when there were 5 or 6 birds eating at once, but they are rather poor, so I decided not to share them. And here are a couple of the House Finch photos.

Please pardon the dust spec on the image sensor.

I haven't seen any others since I saw this small flock. It was fun to see something other than sparrows for a change, though I enjoy watching the sparrow at the feeder.

So after two more weeks of fairly routine activity, yesterday brought a very nice change. The day's excitement commenced at about 8:30AM as we were driving to Winco to do our Saturday. As we were stopped at the intersection of State Street and University Parkway, we saw a Great Blue Heron flying west toward the lake. Later, as were returning from shopping, we saw an American Kestral having a meal while perched on top of a telephone pole.

With that auspicious beginning, I decided that it might be fun to drive out to Lincoln Beach on the west side of Utah Lake to see what, if anything was happening out there. I figured it was still a bit early in the year, but the day had turned sunny (though also rather windy) and I figured it would be fun to get out of the house for awhile. When we got out to Lincoln Beach, it was extremely windy and cold, though the sun being out made it rather pretty. This photo captures the way the experience felt rather well.

In spite of the ice and cold wind, the trip was well worth it. When we drove around to the other side of the boat dock area, we came upon this very welcome sight.

There were several Northern Shovelers hanging out near the edge of the ice. I was rather surprised to see them, but I have heard that they are actually fairly early arrivals to our area. They were not the only ones, though. Not far away in a break in the ice this pair was testing the water.

It is a little hard to see in the photo, but this is a pair of American Wigeons. The female took flight almost as soon as I took the photo, almost as if she did not want her picture taken.

As we drove back, we spotted a Western Harrier fighting the wind in its efforts to capture a meal, and two Sandhill Cranes were foraging in a still brown field not far from the lake. Both were too far away to get a good shot, even with my 300 MM lens, but they were incredible to watch through the binoculars. We also saw several areas of water full of California Gulls, Mallards, Northern Shovelers, and even a few American Wigeons and a Canvasback or two. I even scared a Western Meadowlark out of the grass as I was returning to the car after taking a couple of photos, but my camera batteries died and I missed that opportunity. Again, the others were too far away for me to get a good shot, but this is a good example of what it looked like.

Overall, it was a great day for seeing birds. I am getting excited because the coming weeks mean more sights like the one above and I cannot wait to see what will come through this year. We will likely head out to the levee this afternoon, so I may have more to share soon. Then we have Zion National Park in April. Though I really like winter, I think I am ready to put this one behind me and welcome my feathered friends back to Utah.

Oooops

Yes, I missed last week. There was not a whole lot to talk about, though. The feeder has become just as popular as the bowl was, and we even have two or three Western Scrub Jays that have become regular visitors. It is fun to watch them land and shovel in just as much as they possibly can as quick as they can and then fly off. They like to hang on to the vertical part or the shepherd's hook and try to reach over to the feeder. They never stay very long, but they come by between about 8AM and 9AM just about every morning. We can usually hear them well before they appear at the feeder.

While the jays are fun, watching the sparrows can be quite interesting as well. They hang out in the bushes at the side of the house or by the neighbor's yard and just kind of scope the place out for awhile. Before long, one will fly to the feeder and then it is not long before they are all taking turns. I have seen as many as 12 birds near the feeder, with as many as 6 eating at the feeder at one time. They don't seem too concerned with us looking at them through the window, but they are easily startled by activity outside. The tabby cat that has been skulking around out there since just after I started feeding the birds still hangs around, but has yet to have any success as far as I can tell.

We spent some time today just sitting in the car and watching the sparrows in the bushes near the feeder. One would fly up and eat a little bit before flying back, but they seemed extremely cautious and there was never more than one at the feeder as we watched. In the past, they have been all over the feeder while we watched from the car. Maybe the tabby was lurking nearby and we just couldn't see it. Anyway, someone upstairs seemed to be wondering what we were doing just sitting in the car. We saw curtains open a bit and then close again, as if someone was looking at us trying to figure out what we were up too. I am sure they have noticed the feeder, but I don't think they realize how much we like watching the birds as well. Besides, Merilee was enjoying the warmth in the car, as well as the sunshine falling on her side. It was fun to see the sparrows and they hung out in the bush.

After watching the sparrows, we took a drive up Provo Canyon and then the South Fork just to get out in nature a bit, but there was understandably no avian activity. We had a lot of snow yesterday, and even though the day was sunny today, the canyon was obviously not the place to see many birds at this point. I was hoping for a possible Wild Turkey sighting, but that will have to wait I am sure. Still too much snow and too cold.

No recent photos again this time, I am afraid. I did take a few of a couple of sparrows and the feeder, as well as some House Finches I saw up in the trees a couple of Wednesday's ago, but I have not taken the time to download them and get them ready to share. I will get those up next time. In the meantime, I will share this photo of a Western Grebe with a couple of Pied-billed Grebes that I took back in the autumn.

Slow Week For Birds

Nothing too exciting on the bird front this week. Last Wednesday I was lucky enough to see a small flock of House Finches in the trees outside the house, and yesterday we saw the scrub jay that has been hanging around, as well as the Hairy Woodpecker that seems to love the walnut tree. On Wednesday I also bought a couple of shepherd's hooks and used one to hang up the three-tube feeder I bought a few weeks ago. I have three different seed selections, but the birds have been slow to accept the feeder. I can't blame them because they are going from an open bowl of seed to the feeder, which takes a little more work. Today some of the sparrows were using the feeder, so maybe it will catch on more. I am also thinking about getting a feeder that has two baskets for suet blocks and hanging that out in the garden. Hopefully, with a break in the snow storms, bird activity will pick up a bit over the next few days.

This evening I picked up 'The Big Year' on Blu-Ray. I read the book a little while ago and really enjoyed it. I am excited to see the movie, though I do not imagine that it follows the book very closely. It should still be fun. I am a big fan of Steve Martin, though less so of Jack Black and Owen Wilson. I'll let you know what I think.

A Cold Day Out On The Levee

This afternoon, Merilee and I decided to drive out the the levee by the airport. With all the cold and snow we have had, I really didn't expect much bird activity. It was more a way to get out of the house and see some nature, even if that nature was mainly views of the frozen lake and snow-covered grasses. Our first wildlife sighting was of the human variety; two girls with a pink upholstered wing-back chair, one taking photos of the other in the middle of the road under the trees. They kindly moved the chair so we could pass, and they were still there when we drove back. Once we were in the open again, it was not long before we saw this guy.

It's not the best photo, but it is a Northern Flicker. I was rather surprised see one in February, but when I checked my books, they said they are year-round residents here. This is the first time I have photographed a male. I have a photo of a female that took me forever to identify.

Speaking of taking forever to identify, how about this fine specimen.

My identification skills are still in their infancy in may ways and I find myself at a loss when it comes to this raptor. At first I thought it might be a juvenile Northern Harrier coming into it's adult plumage, but I really could not say for sure.  Any ideas anyone? The only thing I am sure of is that he was an amazing sight and he seemed totally unconcerned with our presence.

Not far from the mystery bird, I noticed some activity on the ground. At first I was not sure what it was, but a closer look through my camera revealed a Ring-necked Pheasant, apparently foraging in the grass under the snow. I wonder if the raptor was watching this guy as well.

We didn't drive very far because I did not relish the thought of getting stuck in the muck and mire I was certain existed in the rougher parts of the road. We drove on to where the paved portion of the road ends and turned around. On the drive back, as we were passing an old beaver lodge that is often used as a roosting spot by numerous birds at other times of the year, I was very surprised to see this.

That is a Great Blue Heron. I wish I had a longer lens at times like these. This is zoomed in as far as I could get. Both Merilee and I wondered what the heron could possibly be finding to eat. We also noticed that it was standing on one leg, keeping the other warm no doubt. The Great Blue Heron is one of favourite birds to see while on the levee, and it was quite the sight on a cold winter afternoon by a frozen lake.

Just for curiosity, I decided to drive to the other side of the levee road and see what condition it was in. I put the rodeo in 4WD as the road was covered in snow, mud, and slush. I was soon glad that I decided to chance the road because we saw a Red-tailed Hawk perched up in one of the trees.

All in all, a rather productive winter afternoon at the levee. It makes me look forward even more to the activity that comes with spring. We also saw some robins, but I decided that I have enough photos of robins right now.

Activity at the seed bowl at home remains brisk, though it is mainly the House Sparrows that I see these days. I have heard the scrub jay a couple of times, but have not seen him again. I need to find a way to get a feeder hung up because the increased bird activity has led to increased feline activity. We have seen as many as four different cats in the immediate vicinity, and they all look well cared for. That means they are simply up to no good as far as I am concerned. I'm not a big fan of people who let their pets roam free, especially when they are caterwauling right under my office window. Anyway, it appears that there have been no casualties to the cats, and I would like to keep it that way.

So far this year, I have 27 species sighted (maybe 28 depending on what the mystery raptor is). Not a bad start for the dead of winter.

Harriers, Juncos, and Jays....Oh My!

Before putting the seeds out for the birds this year, I had never really noticed much bird activity during the winter. I always figured most of the really interesting birds left town for the season, so there was not much to see. This winter is teaching me otherwise.

Last Sunday, on the way to and at my mom's house in Sandy, we saw Black-billed Magpies, a Black-capped Chickadee in a pine tree in the back yard, a Common Raven flying over the neighborhood, and a hawk that I could not get a good enough look at to identify. When we returned home, we took some stale bread we had and went to a local park where we have often fed the ducks. The only problem this time was all the cold temperatures we have had lately had frozen the pond solid, so we decided to head to East Bay to see if we could find any ducks there. As we drove on the road the goes back behind the strip mall, we saw something amazing; four Northern Harriers we hanging out on the bank of the little stream that runs along the road. The group was composed of one adult male, at least one adult female, and either two more females or two juveniles. I am still working on my identifying skills, but looking at one of my field guides at home later made me think the others were likely juveniles. As we slowly drove by and watched them take flight, I was cursing myself for not having my camera with me.

We continued to drive toward a parking area near the lake at the golf course. On the way we saw four huge gray geese waddling along the road and a small flock of Canada Geese resting and eating the grass on the hillside by the landfill. At the lakeside, we fed the bread to the Mallards and American Coots that were in the open water. On the way back home, I decided to grab my camera and head back to where the harriers had been on the chance that they would return. Here is what we saw:

The harriers were eating what was left of a dead coot by the water, which is why we were lucky enough to see them when we came back. The light was better when we first saw them, but I was happy to be able to get these pictures. I also managed to get a nice picture of a mallard and a coot nearby.

Posing for the camera. Thank goodness for long lenses.

Yesterday morning, I noticed that there a lot of birds eating some seed I had tossed out on the driveway. It had gotten wet in the bowl and I did not want it to freeze solid. I got dressed, grabbed my camera, and quietly opened the door and stood in the entryway at the bottom of the stairs. That put me at just about level with the driveway. The house sparrows that had been eagerly gobbling up the seed before I opened the door fled at the first sight of me, but I decided to quietly wait to see if they would come back. They never did, but I was soon delighted by the appearance of this fellow.

We had seen a Western Scrub Jay at the seed bowl before, but this one's appearance was entirely unexpected. Of course I heard him before he actually appeared, but I was still glad to get a good shot of him. He scooped up some of the bigger bits and then flew off. Not too long after his exit, I had these birds show up.

I was actually surprised that I was able to get photos of these Dark-eyed Juncos. When they have stooped at the seed bowl in the past, they have been even more skittish than the sparrows, but these two seemed totally unperturbed by my presence in the stair well. They were fun to watch.

Like I said, the sparrows never did come back. I listened to four European Starlings sitting on the power line making noises imitating everything from a car alarm to a Black-capped Chickadee. They were rather amusing. I also saw a Eurasian Collared Dove, but the mist was too thick to take a good photo. All in all, it was a very fun morning.

The Birds Outside Our Window

This winter has been the kind of winter I remember from my childhood; white and cold. The snow has remained on the ground because temperature inversions have kept the highs from even reaching freezing. With low temperatures in the single digits (or even below zero), I worried about the small birds having enough to eat to survive the more extreme cold. As I mentioned last time, I decided to put out some bird seed in a bowl nestled in a planter we have at the top of the stairs leading down to our front door. I did not relish coming across a small feathered body frozen in the snow, a victim of the winter deep freeze.

At first, there was little activity. We have always had a few small birds hanging out in the shrubs along the driveway, but activity at the seed bowl was fairly low for a couple of days. Then things began to slowly pick up. At first we had a few House and American Tree Sparrows, but before long a few Dark-eyed Juncos were visiting as well. As time goes by, the crowds seem to grow. Yesterday we even had a Western Scrub Jay stop by and sample the meager fare we have supplied. I enjoy watching the birds through our living room window. If I am careful, I can get quite close without disturbing them, and the planter is only a couple of feet from the window. Overall, there seems to be little fighting among the ever-growing flock, and it is quite amazing to see as many as eight sparrows crowded around and in the seed dish at any given time. Who knows what has visited when I was not looking? All I know is that I am glad that I can do something to help these amazing creatures.

So far I have been using a fairly inexpensive generic bird seed that I bought at Walmart. I wanted to see how well the idea worked because I was a little concerned about the seed dish being so close to the house. I also do not have a place for a feeder, so I put the dish in our planter. I figured it was out in the open enough to allow the birds plenty of warning against hunting felines. I knew that any increased bird activity would also attract any roaming cats. We have actually seen one calico hunter stare into our window twice, but as far as I can tell, it's feathered prey remain safe from attack.

I recently bought a three-tube feeder at Walmart ($5 clearance; what a steal) that I plan to hang on a metal shepherd's hook once the ground is no longer frozen solid. I plan to load it with three different types of seed and see what we can attract. Until then, I will probably upgrade the seed a bit. Though the sparrows seem to love what we have now, I would like to see if we can attract any other birds that might be in the area. I'll be sure to share any new sightings. I am eager to see what we can attract with feeder.

New Year, New Blog

With the start of a new year, I decided to start a new blog that is much more focused than anything I have tried before. I was thinking about what I should write about when something happened yesterday on the way to Walmart, of all places, that led me to where I am now; but more about that in a minute. I decided I would write about birds; more specifically, my experiences watching and photographing them.

I call this blog 'An Accidental Birder' because I don't recall making a conscious decision to become one. I have always liked birds and have always enjoyed the sight of a large raptor sailing the thermals, looking for its next meal; or even catching sight of something small and yellow flitting between the trees. Birds have always interested me, but my current enthusiasm began with reading Under A Wild Sky by William Souder, a biography of John James Audubon, for a book group. Every member of the group would nominate books to read. Each member would then rank the list is order of interest, with the book they were most interested in reading having the highest points (say, 5 points for the the one you wanted to read most if there were five books listed). We used this system to choose what we would read, and each month, after completing the book, we would get together to discuss and and have an activity organized by the member who nominated the book. Sometimes these activities were related to the book, sometimes not, but it was always an enjoyable time. I miss it.

For this particular May, after reading about Audubon, it seemed only natural to do some bird watching. We piled into Joe's van, bought some KFC (Audubon used to eat many of the birds he shot for study, so this seemed like appropriate fare), and drove out to the levee between Utah Lake and Provo City Airport to see what we could spot. On that trip, we saw barn swallows, mallards, a kingbird, brown-headed cowbirds, red-winged blackbirds, as some American coots, as I recall. One of the best sightings came near the end of our excursion. Not long after talking about how Brandon had never seen an owl, and many of us sharing the owl sightings we had had in the past, we noticed something in the middle of the road, staring into the car's headlights. It was not very big, and made no effort to move from the road. As we approached closer, we could soon tell that the creature staring at us was a burrowing owl; the first any of us had seen. It was a great way to end what was a very enjoyable evening. It also planted the birding seed in me.

Prior to this adventure, I had never been out to the levee; I had not even known it existed. Now it has become a favourite haunt whenever it is passable. It took awhile for me to return a second time, but when my wife and I drove out the following November, we saw a beautiful red-tailed hawk in the trees above the road. At that point I think I was finally hooked. The hawk was an incredible sight. He sat up in the tree looking right at me for a few moments as I took pictures of him. He seemed unconcerned by my presence, and I was careful to give him no reason to feel threatened. It was an incredible moment.

The Red-tailed Hawk, looking right at me

My fascination with birding got another boost when I met Bob last year. Bob is a friend of our landlords upstairs, and while we had informally met some time ago, we became better acquainted last spring. My wife and I were just heading out for a trip to the levee when Bob came out with his binoculars. He saw my camera bag and made a comment about us heading out and I told him we were going down by the lake to look for birds. He was quite pleased to meet fellow enthusiasts. He had just been heading into the back yard to watch for birds there as he was working on his own 'Big Year'. Needless to say, we have become quite good friends with he and his wife. We have taken Bob down to the lake with us on several occasions and hope to visit them soon at their home in California. It is always fun to compare notes and share sitings.

Now back to what made me decide to do this blog. Early yesterday morning, while driving with my wife to the Springville Walmart in the snow, I noticed a large bird flying the opposite direction. The closer we got, the bigger the bird seemed. Though the snow was dictating a slow pace, I slowed even more in order to get a better look at this large creature majestically flying through the snow as if it was totally unconcerned. We soon realized that we were looking at a bald eagle. I have never wished I had my camera as much as I did at that moment. He was an amazing sight, gliding through the snow-filled air not more than 100 feet above the ground. It is not often that a trip to Walmart yields such a rewarding experience. That was when I decided that I would write a blog about my bird adventures.

Also contributing to my decision is the fact that this year we are actually seeing a real winter, complete with frigid temperatures and a blanket of white that has been with us since before Christmas. Knowing how difficult the conditions are for the birds that are still around, I decided that I would place some seed in a plastic bowl near our front door. We only rent, so I have not hung a feeder, but I may put something in our part of the garden we share as soon as I can afford it. So far, response has been quite good to the seed bowl, though I would like to see less of the cat that the bird activity has attracted. It seems like such a small thing to provide some extra food for these small creatures, and we have even attracted a few Dark-eyed Juncos in addition to the sparrows. Who knows what will turn up next.

I am also keeping a list of all the birds I see this year. It's not really anything you would call a 'Big Year', but I thought it would be interesting to see how many species I see in a single year. I'll share my list as I add to it.

There we have it for now. A new blog begun, with more to come.